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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · last · fan · march · swing · content · scale · vault

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. swing — in golf
  3. content — the amount
  4. swing — to play on
  5. last — to go on
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. last — final
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. march — music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. scale — in music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. swing — music
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. face — to confront
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — part of the head
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com